The Oaken Tide
by Mariah918
Summary: A gnome named Relea is rescued by a worgen druid from freezing to death on the cold streets of Stormwind. Relea joins the druid's order, known as the Oaken Tide and grew by their side. This is Relea's story.  Some events based on actual RP!


Relea stared in the mirror, watching her reflection and her friend Cherri as she put white powder on Relea's face. Relea sighed in nervousness.

"What is it dear?" Cherri asked in her high pitched gnomish voice. Relea didn't say a word, frowning as she looked at herself in the mirror. Cherri half smiled, looking at Relea's reflection as well.

"You're nervous aren't you?" Cherri asked, now starting to form a grin. Relea sighed again, still frowning in the mirror.

"Yes… and are you positive this white powder is going to take the scars off of my face?" Relea asked, now looking up to Cherri's reflection in the mirror. Cherri's grin now faded back into a comforting smile.

"Hun, your face already looks as innocent as a baby's bottom." Cherri said, now laughing loudly at her comment. Relea looked closer at her face in the mirror as Cherri went into hysterics and sighed.

"Well… yes I guess you are right." Relea said with an emotionless expression, staring at the mirror. Cherri then stopped laughing and went back behind Relea again and continued to put the white powder on. Cherri then smiled, adoring her fine work on Relea's face.

"Ah! Perfect!" Cherri said, looking at Relea's reflection. Relea smiled weakly and got up from her chair and walked around. The two gnomes were in a tent. It was a normal tent for most races except for Cherri and Relea, who were shorter than most. Relea then looked at her friend and smiled for the first time that day. Cherri grinned as she looked at her friend.

"It must feel good wearing those robes." Cherri said, now focusing on Relea's scarlet robes. They were very nice robes, that glowed in the sunlight. Relea's outfit was all scarlet. Everything except for her boots were made of moon cloth. To top it off Relea wore a crown-like helm, it shined and sparkled as it floated above Relea's head as if it were a halo. Relea continued to smile as she looked at Cherri.

"Oh yes… it does! I've worn worse.." Relea said, looking at her friend as they conversed.

"I know Relea, I know." Cherri said, recalling the times they were both priestesses in training. They both had to wear hand me down apprentice robes and rags back when they were young adolescents. Cherri eventually resigned from being in the priesthood and started working as an engineer in the Tinker's Union. Relea continued working as a priestess until she was ready.

Today was the day she was ready, ready to tackle bigger situations. She was ready to become an even more honorable model for the gnomish community, to stand out and become a chief surgeon for the gnomes and a high priestess for the Alliance. She was nervous of course, as well as excited. She tried to relax in the tent with Cherri until she heard the commotion outside. There were several people outside in the cold, Dun Morogh weather, just to see this event. The people clapped and cheered and the two heard light footsteps coming onto the wooden stage. Relea shook in nervousness.

"Relax Relea, the high tinker can't possibly be here yet!" Cherri said giving an uncomfortable laugh. The person on the stage that was unknown to Cherri and Relea started to talk.

"Greetings gnomes of Gnomeregan and fellow Alliance members!" a man said. Relea started covering her face in her hands due to the very recognizable voice of the high tinker. Cherri sighed at her.

"Calm yourself! He probably made up an one hour speech for everyone to listen to." Cherri said trying to comfort her, they then heard the high tinker speak again.

"As you all know, I am High Tinker Mekkatorque. Now I am not going to give an one hour speech if you guys were curious.." Cherri then covered her face with her hands and then looked up and put Relea at the entrance of the tent. Relea still shook.

"Relea relax, nothing bad will happen I promise." Cherri reassured her.

"You promise?" Relea asked. Cherri sighed.

"Now… as you all know, us gnomes have gone through so much. We lost our city, a lot of us have died due to the trogg infestation of our city, and we fought back just recently… but we only took the surface." High Tinker Mekkatorque said with a lot of charisma, way more than what Relea had. He spoke again.

"Now we are here today to recognize a hero of the Alliance. This young gnome is a veteran in Operation: Gnomeregan. She has helped several groups throughout Azeroth and fought the horrid lands of Outlands as well." Outside in the crowd an odd couple stood as they watched High Tinker Mekkatorque speak and pause for water. One of the two, who was a night elf huntress in dark leather armor with a pet fox started to laugh. The other individual was a human man who wore white robes and old brown shoes. The man sighed.

"What now Aryula?" The man asked with an angry look on his face. Aryula continued to laugh and replied.

"That poor high tinker guy looks like he's going to peel over any minute!" The man still looked angrily at her.

"He doesn't look that old! Now pay attention to the ceremony will you?" The man said with his fist in the air. Aryula sighed.

"Whatever Val." Aryula said, now looking toward the stage. The high tinker began to talk again.

"Now all, I would like you to meet this great hero of the Alliance, Relea Goldilocks!" Relea was pushed out of the tent by Cherri and fell face flat into the snow. Everyone stared in silence except for Aryula who was talking softly.

"Relea! Get up! Get up now!" she sneered as she watched the crowd and Relea. Relea then got up and the crowd cheered as she walked up to the stage. High Tinker Mekkatorque smiled as Relea slowly walked up to the stage.

"This gnome has proved herself to be worthy, worthy of being a hero to not only her own people, but to the Alliance, therefore she will be titled as a chief surgeon among the gnomes as well as a high priestess of the Alliance!" Everyone still continued to cheer, Relea watched nervously for a moment but then smiled when Aryula mouthed for her to smile. Relea looked around the crowd but despite that her friends: Aryula and Val, who's full name was Valbinett was there, there was no trace of the druid she called her master. Cherri would always try to tell Relea otherwise, that she was not her master because she was a druid and Relea was a priest, but Relea would always say otherwise: 'It's not the class that makes that person your master, it's the respect you have for the person that you make as your master.'. Relea continued to watch for her master who was called Araylea Smith, but she did not see her. She started to frown in disappointment as she stood on the stage. Aryula sighed as she watched the stage.

"I don't think Ara's going to make it." Aryula said, looking down into the snow.

"Oh she will! Trust me!" Val said and at that moment, a slim leopard came running through the crowds as they cheered. The cat ran swiftly and gracefully without hitting one person. Eventually as the leopard was in front of the crowds it turned into a human, a worgen in human form, who was known as Araylea. Relea then finally started to smile as she saw her master there, alive and well. Araylea stood there and could do nothing but form a smirk on her face. She remembered that day, almost exactly a year ago when she found that poor and homeless gnome. She couldn't help but repeat those same words she told Relea when she took Relea back to the Oaken Tide's headquarters:

"You're a chippa' lookin' one Relea, you're a chippa' lookin' one."


End file.
